Midterm Loose Ends

The last governor’s race: Democrat Mark Dayton is now Minnesota’s governor-elect. Tom Emmer conceded and called off the recount this morning. That puts the total number of governorships Republicans will control in the coming crucial redistricting year at 29 (Democrats plus independent Lincoln Chaffee will have the rest), and means outgoing governor Tim Pawlenty won’t have a window to run wild with that incoming Republican-controlled legislature.

The last House race: Rep. Tim Bishop will narrowly hold onto his seat in New York’s first district. Republican Randy Altschuler has conceded, leaving the GOP’s overall gains at 63 seats and the final House breakdown at 242 Republicans to 193 Democrats.

The last Senate race: A judge in Alaska has agreed to hear arguments on whether Joe Miller’s suit seeking to challenge thousands of write-in ballots should be dismissed as the state has requested.